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| The 10 costliest tornadoes |
The May 20, 2013, Moore, Okla., tornado is a reminder of how violent thunderstorm season can be. Disaster modelers estimate damage will top $2 billion, possibly making it the costliest U.S. tornado of all time.
The twister touched down in the southern Oklahoma City metro area and in 40 minutes cut a destructive swath 17 miles long and up to 1.3 miles wide -- almost the size of Manhattan. Winds of up to 210 mph ripped through Briarwood Elementary School, leveled Plaza Towers Elementary, wrecked some 12,000 homes and tore off the top floor of Moore Medical Center. Twenty-four people lost their lives, including seven children at Plaza Towers.
Tornadoes are the second costliest type of disaster in the United States, having caused $130.2 billion in insured losses from 1992 to 2011, more than five times that of earthquakes and fires combined. Only hurricanes and tropical storms, which caused $161.3 billion in insured losses in those years, are more destructive overall.
Joplin, Mo., tornado damage
